Drill, the sand it out. I'm going to make then a couple of inches deep. I'm going to decide the number of cups after I find the log I'm going to use. My wife has a ton of sealant and varnish left over from her last project, so I'm thinking this is going to be an outdoor table.

Before anyone ask, yes my wife refinishes furniture for fun. She'd been doing it for years and loves it.

I think that's the route I'm going to have to go. I wanted to find local wood and produce a few of these for friends and family. If I have to buy the wood though that could make the difference in how many I try to make.

I have a cabinet shop that I get all my "project" wood at.
They always have some scrap walnut, gancaloave or a nice tigermaple.
Just show up and ask around the smaller shops.
You may even make some new friends.